Sunday August 25, 2013

Today was a payday for some of our missionaries as we witnessed 6 individuals baptized after Sacrament meeting in the Nsawam Branch of the Church.  After the baptism we went with two young ladies, one a nursery school teacher, Gifty & her friend Gwen to visit a member family at their home and invite them to come back to the fold.  We visited with the sister but because she was cooking fish, and the family makes their living selling the cooked fish we offered to come back at another time.  The picture shown is the yard of this sister. The family lives in nothing more than a board shack with a tarp and some corrugated steel roofing to keep the elements out.

On Sunday there is a lot less traffic and it only takes 1 hour to get to our assigned branch.  Our branch president, Thompson, takes the trotro with his family to church.  He is hoping we can give him a ride, as he lives along the path we take to church.   We have noticed the miracle of the gospel is that those who adopt the ways of the Lord and really live the gospel, have better lives.  It reminds me of a statement made by President Ezra T.Benson in 1985 and quoted by Elder Packer since.  "The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums.  Christ takes the slums out of the people, and then they take themselves out of the slums.  The world would mold men by changing their environment.  Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature."   We can witness that it will take the gospel to bless this nation. The concern I see is there are many false prophets and false Christ's here, in Ghana and the people know not where to find the gospel in its purity. The Book of Mormon defines priest-craft in 2 Nephi 26:29 and this land seems to be full of it and the people yearning for the gospel and Christ in their lives are fooled by those making their living selling the gospel and their craftiness.   ...."that men peach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and the praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion." The work of spreading the gospel is so important to this people, they want so very much to find His path.  

The rest of the week was pretty exciting and stressful, we had 18 new missionaries come on Transfer Day. Before that came we had to have 4 new apartments, which are hard to find here.  Finding the right price along with a bathroom, windows and little niceties like that. Then we have to furnish that and have it all ready for the missionaries. President and the A P's (Assistants to the President) figure out who and where the new missionaries will be.

These are our AP's They look like they are ready for anything. One is a young man from Ghana and one is a young man from Idaho. The one from Ghana is going home in a month and we will miss him. It seems like all our missionaries get along very well, sometimes the cross culture is better. We got 15 new North American Missionaries so we are getting to be at least 40 % white to 60% black. Our new missionaries we just got, were all just 18 and just graduated from High School. I think we are going to have a little more homesickness and mom's that miss their boys than when they used to have to be 19.

Talk about homesickness, our 12th grandchild is due today... nothing yet... if you want just 1 more week little girl, you can be born on Grandma's birthday. But for your mom's sake you better come sooner!!!

Look for the Ghana Accra West Mission on Face Book and Like us.

These are a few of the new Elders with their new companions. They have just had lunch and a great talk from President Hill and Sister Hill and they are off to learn the life of a missionary.

All Africa Day of Service

This last Saturday the Church had an All Africa Day of Service and every Ward and Branch was to find a need in the community and do service. The Office Elders, they went to an open air market in their area and went to clean the market at 6:00 A.M. with their ward. They had a big turn out the Elders had to clean out the open sewage ditch. (the sewage ditch and lack of trash cans is a whole blog I am working up to- later)

Terry and I have been assigned to a Branch about 45 minutes north of Accra in a town  called Nswsam. We went to do a service project with them. We went to a government Hospital, the man had to bring machetes or as they call them here cutlasses. Terry has been itching to get one of those. He called Elder Nielson who bought one for him out in the Bush (all the men and boys out there have one). so Elder Nielson bought him a nice big one.

Elder Wall had so get the Elders up and going we were there very early.

The men had to hack at some grass and the ladies had to sweep the paths and the sidewalk, each ward had a separate building and there were paths and sidewalks. The waiting room was outside under a roof. I wanted to go and sweep that up, but there were several people sleeping on the benches ( maybe people that had family in the hospital (Ronald Mcdonald where is your house when we need it) There were also a bunch of /chickens under the benches, they started clucking at me when I started sweeping around them, I found another place to sweep. Meanwhile Terry was using his machete.  

Terry is moving that machete so fast you can't even see it.

This is a picture of about half of the people that came. The 4 men in the middle were some members of the Muslim Community that wanted to come and help. In Ghana they are very blessed because the members of the Muslim and the Christian Community get along and there seems to be no animosity between the two.

Some of the youth, they enjoyed being there and helping.

                                                          

Cape Coast

Last weekend we moved to our new apartment. It is bigger than our last one and very nice. It is in an apartment complex with 4 buildings and 6 apartments in each building, about 5 other missionary couples live here and the best part our office is right next door. That means we save 1-2 hours each day in traffic Yeah!! We really are only about 4 miles from the temple, but it seems like 25 miles in the morning and evening. The worst part is that the office is only next door, like the time I woke up at 4:00 A.M. and Terry was not there. I knew he was having trouble balancing his finance for the mission so I went next door, there he was entering all the expenses and payouts again trying to balance. They are still working on our permanent mission home and office in Tesano, but the mission home is still half demolished and they have not started on the office yet, so we still think we are at least a year away. We are in a nice neighborhood, mostly embassies and embassy residencies, so we go for our walk everyday on the street. We will miss the Temple ancillary especially all the people that come a stay from all over West Africa. This is a picture of where the bus driver who drove all the people to the temple stays during their time in here.





his last week it was time for 5 of our missionaries to go home. We were able to have brunch with them at President's home, go to the Temple with them and spend some more time with them as they talked about their mission and future and their testimonies. 4 of them all American left that evening on the Delta 10:10 flight and the other one left the next afternoon to Samoa, he had a travel time of 2 days. Elder Mauga  on his way home to Samoa.

Last week a friend, that Terry knew for many years before through his employment, was here in Africa, he was taking a group of people to Cape Coast for a day and a half and invited us to go with him. Cape Coast is further west from Accra and much of their living is the Sea. Here is Accra there is no notice of the fact that Accra is right on the Atlantic Ocean. The beach front property is not more valuable, there are not scenic drives near the beach or a beach resort or vacation type mind set here. But in Cape Coast there is, there are lots of boats in the ocean, resorts and a little more touristy feel. We stayed over on Friday night at a place called Elmina Resort. by the town of Elmina. Elmina is famous for a Castle that is more than 5 hundred years old. It took 600 Portuguese soldiers 4 years to build it. Then when the Dutch took over they added more to it. When the castle was first built they used it for trade. The native people traded gold for items like clothe, beads, tools, liqueur  etc. That is why the town is called Elmina (the Mine), they soon ran out of gold, what they did have was people. When the tribes got into fights, they took the defeated people as slaves. So the Europeans got right into that trade as you know. We went through the Slave Castle, it was a terrible part of our history, European history and of course to the people who died or suffered through it . Here are a couple of pictures of the town that I took  from the top of the Castle.                                                          

Later we when inland to a rain forest and you could walk along the top of a rain forest, it was really high, about  250 meters from the ground. The forest was so dense, that you could not see the ground, and we did not see any of the animals, although I don't know if they have a lot. Terry asked a man from Ghana why there were not any wild animals like they have in other parts of Africa, and he said, we ate them. So Peter you don't have to worry about Grandma and Grandpa outrunning the Lions. The people ate all the Lions.

   

An Act of Faith, Obedience and Love:  11 August 2013 is the first day of our assignment to the Nsawam branch, just outside of the greater Accra area. Four elders and ourselves will be serving with the faithful saints of that branch.  The chapel is beautiful and represents the Church well. Two of our missionaries live almost directly across the street from the building.  Over the last few years the number of members attending church has become small, small (native) and dwindled to the point that it is now a branch.  In an effort of the "Rescue" that President Thomas Monson has addressed in the effort the Lord wants to invite our brothers and sisters back to the fold., our mission President Hill in conjunction with the stake leaders and members have made an effort to visit those who the spark of the gospel may be rekindled and the fire rebuilt.  I sat in priesthood, next to the high councilor assigned to the Nsawam branch from Alajo, where he stays (another unique African designation  which means where you are currently living, as where are you from means the village you are originally from).  As we sat this faithful saint shared with me a visit he made this week along with other ward leaders.  A visit to an elderly brother that had not come to church for two years and he had not had a visit. Since there are few street signs and everyone doesn't live on a street anyway, local members must accompany you to the home.  In some cases the members do not know where someone stays.  But in this case they did.  Upon arriving at the home it was discovered that the reason this brother had not been to church is he had had a series of strokes which left his legs unusable and his speech very difficult to understand.  In the states that is serious but here where one must walk to church or if one is lucky and has some financial means, they can take the tro-tro or cab one may make it. (Our truck was one of two cars in the ward, so people can not go pick up their neighbors, in many cases the cars could not drive to where the person is because their might not be a road.)  In this case there are little financial means and walking is out of the question.  During the visit it was discovered that this goodly brother had been waiting and praying for a visit.  He expressed his gratitude and told those visiting he had been waiting for two years to pay his tithing, which he gave to them. He asked for a blessing to be released from this life but was given a blessing of faith.  We are excited to join with our brothers and sisters here in preparing ourselves and families for the second coming of the Messiah.

It is said of the people here in west Africa they may not have much but they have what counts.  They have great faith, love for the Savior and patience.  When I ponder upon the saints that we have met and love a scripture comes to mind; Acts 2:17  "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:"    

        

           

New Areas of Ghana

In to the Bush again. President & Sister Hill asked us to come with them to Oda. Oda is about an hour past Asamankase ( Were the Neilson's are). We had to leave on Sat. afternoon so we would not have to leave at 3:00 A.M. We drove up to Asamakase, went to a District (ward missionary meeting, some of the ward missionaries were still in High School ) meeting, then when to the Neilson's and had a yummy dinner, then went to stay at a motel. This is a view from our second floor window. Almost looks like Hawaii except the pool cleaner forgot to come. We had a very loud band at the party place next door until late, we got up the next morning and drove to Oda, so we could be there by 8:00 as President was interviewing some people as he was dividing  the Oda Branch.  
                           

 This is the front of the Hotel we were the only guests. This cute little girl climbed up into my lap right at the beginning of sacrament meeting played with my necklace about 3 minutes, stared at my funny looking white skin about 5 minutes then decided I was safe. Leaned against me and slept for the rest of the meeting. Usually children this little are scared of us and won't come near us and even cry when they see us. Sister Hill is jealous that she came to me. Most of the older children like white people, probably because the missionaries are so nice to them .                  

On Wednesday mornings we go out and inspect missionary apartment, I look it over make sure it is somewhat clean.We make sure they have any supplies they need and Terry looks for things that need to be fixed he can fix small things with his little tool kit. He wishes he had a cordless drill. This is an apartment for 4 , their living room, the frig. and new microwave are in here, because their are no plugs in the kitchen. Pres. Hill sitting there, usually he is busy interviewing while we visit with the other missionaries.

I was so impressed today in Church all the meetings were wonderful, but in Relief Society we had a great lesson and it was taught by a lady, Sister Gloria, that had only been baptized the week before. She  had been investigating the church for 3 weeks before that.

 The band from the Univesity of  Accra who played original African music at the Gothe Insitute.  We attended with Pres. & Sister Hill on Friday evening.  The evening was cool, to Ghana standards. 

 Why Africa,  so I can sit in the Chief's chair in a place called the Palace,  we found real Coke, Pepsi and other U.S. products.  this shopping trip lasted from 9 am till 4:30 pm.  Yes it can take an entire day to buy three small bags of groceries.

It was wonderfully spiritual meetings for me today as I sat in church I asked myself why Africa and why an office couple when I seemed so ill prepared for such a call and yet I am learning and growing in faith. But the following musing came to me as I contemplated these thoughts.  Will we do all things we are asked, it is easy to sit in the comfort of our home and say yes.  But could I know and witnessed and felt what I have while being here and in this assignment.  Could my love for Heidi and respect for her talents and intelligence have grown as much as it has?  D & C 101:16 "Be still and know that I am God."  Are we being tested to see if we will do all things we are asked (Abraham 3:25).  I reflect on Zion's Camp and my great, great, great grandfather who participated, Alden Burdick.  He later died in 1845 at a younger age, faithful to the cause of Zion, prior to the Saints coming west.  It was said of effects suffered during Zion's camp. There were miracles such as water found by Joesph Smith digging in a meadow, and healing's.  Is this much different that the food and water provided by God to the Israelite's as they wondered in the desert with Moses.  It is not enough to say I believe one must do the will do the Father. (Matt 7:21) The act of doing shows our love.  John 14:15 If ye love me keep my commandments.  Because we are free to act 2 Nep. 2:16 & 27 we are free to choose.  What we are learning here will bless our posterity, and build the kingdom, in what ways we do not always know but we love Him and someday we will know.  With Heidi's help I was able to finally balance out a weeks worth of financial books.  An answer to prayer.       

We did not post last Sunday because Terry was so sick with runny tummy, but he was better on Tuesday. The week before we had our first transfer day, we got 10 new missionaries. They arrived from the Ghana MTC at 7:00 A.M. This time we had 10 new missionaries, which was good to have a smaller group for the first time our Mission had a transfer.They spent the morning interviewing with and getting  to know the Mission President, talking to Sister Hill about health, taking their malaria medication etc. Terry gave them their bike helmet and light and phone, talked about their phone minutes etc and told them about their monthly budget and card. My part was to take some paper work from them and give or explain other paperwork. Then the President talked to all of them about the Ghana Accra West Mission, introduced them all to their new companions, fed them lunch and then by 2:00 they were off. Eight of our missionaries were from other parts of Africa and 2 were from the U.S. They of course have have different areas where there is a big learning curve, or cultural shock. Their new companions or trainers will be one of the keys to teaching them to be effective missionaries and also of course helping them with getting used to a new country and culture.

This week we welcomed 2 missionary couples back to Africa, one that had been home on sick leave for 3 months and are now back ready to complete their last 8 months, you have to admire them for coming back. They are about 2 hours outside of Accra, while they were gone their house had been burglarized and many of the things including their generator had been taken. They spent over a week here at the Temple housing, going back and forth to look for another house or apartment to live in and finally decided that they would go back to the house they were in because the others they found in the area and price were no better. They stayed right down the hall from us and we got to know them pretty well, they are great people and they are from Littleton, Colorado so of course that was in their favor too. The problem is they are in the other mission, but when they come to town they will come and visit us. The other couple the Daltons have been in Ghana for 23 months, they went home for 3 months and are right back for another 18 month mission. They are really up in the Bush, about 3-4 hours from us. They are in the furthest reaches of the West Mission - but we have several missionaries and Branches up there. They take care of those missionaries and the branches and the community. He had been a contractor and he is helping the people in the town design and build a school. They are so loved that they have had babies named after them

     This is the Daltons ready to serve their 2nd mission to Ghana.(at the airport)

 These are 4 cute Sister Missionaries from our mission, we only have 12 Sisters , 11 from Africa and 1 from
Fiji. They are great! We went with the Hills to visit them. We checked to see that their Apt. was safe and had everything they needed. They are going to be so excited this week our mission Pres. decided that all the apartments needed to have a Microwave. This will be a step up as right now all the Apartments only have what could be called a 2 or 4 burner camp stove. We hope that this will help all the missionaries especially the Elders to eat a little better.

It is always a joy to be with the missionaries.  I felt the spirit of the Lord brooding over the work and his servants, this week, even though most of them are young.  A spiritual experience I had this week, however unusual this may sound, was on Sunday as I was laying on the tile floor in the bathroom, because it was cool and I was having major runny tummy that caused me to sweat and be in pain.  I audibly ask the Lord to help me as I no longer had strength to be upright.  Within seconds Heidi came into the bedroom and asked why I was laying on the floor, and I said because I can not get up, she suggested that she find the missionaries and ask for a blessing. I asked if she would do that.  Often the missionaries from the Accra Mission stay around the Stake Center on the Temple grounds after meetings and teach.  She went out of the ancillary building and found elders LeauBeaus and Caleb just leaving the grounds and ask them to return and give me a blessing, she also ask Elder Scoville to assist.  The three of them came to the apartment, I tried to sit for the blessing but was too weak and laid on the bed.  The faith of these brethren, Heidi and Sister S. was felt and the blessing and was Father in Heavens answer, as I was able to keep water down in small sips and that evening had some saltine crackers.  By Monday afternoon I was feeling much better.   Earlier in Sacrament meeting Elder Caleb shared his story of conversion.  He was a active member of a Pentecostal faith and his father is the minister.  He and some high school friends decided to go to a party, but after getting there one of the boys said he did not feel comfortable being in the party and waited outside for his friends.  After they came from the party the boys asked the friend why he did not stay in the party and he said he did not think it proper to be in a place where the Spirit could not be.  Elder Caleb (not his real name), respected that and started asking questions.  Read the Book of Mormon and gained a testimony.  He is now serving as a full time missionary and hoping that his family may also gain testimonies of Christ's restored Gospel with its plan of happiness.  The faith and goodness of this generation of missionaries and goodness of God to us is felt and I am so thankful.

First week of the Ghana Accra West Mission

July 7th

We posted last week but it appears it was lost in the bush, Heidi even included a bunch of pictures.  So we will try it again.  We had great adventures with our New Mission President and wife, the Hills, they are a fun down to earth couple.  We had the blessing of participating in two zone conferences, a tri-zone conference in Kaneshie and a trip to the bush in Abomosu with one zone.  In each of the two conferences the Spirit was strong and the power of the Priesthood felt as we were taught by the Zone leaders, Assistants to the President, mission president and wife and the missionaries themselves.  They have awesome testimonies.  We started with about 100 missionaries and adding 10 more this Wednesday and 18 more in August. It is difficult to add new apartments for they are rented for two years and payment is in advance.  Then the process of improvements such as kitchen cabinets, beds, fridge, propane cook stove, and adding all the items to feed and house a missionary, including poly tanks for water, with a pump are moved in by our physical facilities person, Benjamin.  We are so grateful to him and our office elders, for keeping ahead of the changes would not be possible without them.  We feel like we are just one step ahead of the vultures that sit on the area office roof each morning.  I think they do not dare sit on the Temple, which is in the same complex. (In this complex we have the area offices for western Africa, the Temple, an ancillary for housing patrons to the temple, and a beautiful stake center. Today we enjoyed our meetings at the stake center on the Temple grounds and witnessed the random call of a new bishops counselor.  A young man who works for the State Department in Agriculture and has been here 2 weeks, looked shocked as he was called from the audience and sustained as the second counselor.  I learned later that he was asked to serve during the Sacrament meeting, his wife home with the runny tummy.  It reminded me of calls issued so long ago, when brethren would be called during conference to serve a mission, and leave immediately to serve. Such faith and devotion.  We contacted two individuals we have shared referrals with the elders.  Isaiah, who attended Sacrament meeting with his brother who is from out of town and came to see his family in Accra.  I did miss a chance yesterday for a referral of a police man.  We were stopped on the way to the zone conference on a road side check.  The police ask me for my license and we have been instructed not to give it to them, so I explained where we were going and we do not give our licenses, Heidi has the presence of mind to tell me to give him my international license, which satisfied him but he was still not happy.  I thought later that I missed the change to share the Restoration pamphlet with him invite him to church then share a 5 minute discussion on the road side, I must repent and see everyone dressed in white ready for baptism and the temple.  I should have thought of that as he was dressed in a white tunic and white pith helmet, Colonialism is still to be seen in Ghana.

This is a picture of zone conference of the Abomosu Zone - in the Bush- the Hills and the Zone leaders are standing in the back
       

The FM group was visiting again today doing their yard duty

Notice the house built in the bottom of the tree trunk last time we saw something like this we were in Redwoods National Forest in California

Someone did remove my last post that I put up last week?????????????? 

We did have a very busy week this last week the first week of our New Ghana Accra West Mission, we were up every morning at 5:30 and did not get back to our apartment until 8 or 9 in the evening, this next week might be the same.Part of it is we have a lot to do, part of it is that we are not as fast as we were when we were younger, part of it is we don't know what the heck we are doing and part of it is that we are stuck in traffic all of the time. We miss our family and our friends, but we are loving being part of helping to spread the gospel. We are not like the young missionaries, we can get emails, so write us and tell us how you are.

Moving Day

We are calling this post Moving Day, because we are moving into our new temporary Mission Home. It might be temporary for over a year, we went to the building that they are renovating and it looks like a big job. The builder said 2 months, but we are betting on a year, we will let you know.  I took this picture of a TroTro (yellow vehicle) loaded with about 16 people and all the stuff on top. We didn't have to move this way thank goodness. Our Mission President also arrived on Saturday, the Delta flight from New York was about 3 hours late, so they really had an extra long flight. Also our son Jared moved from Memphis to Utah this last 3 days, his car might of looked like that.

So tomorrow on July 1 we will have the official - Ghana Accra West Mission.  We have over 110 great missionaries and our new Mission President, and his wife are very enthusiastic and energetic people and they will be great to work with. Hope they think the same about us

This is Sister Hill coming with some of their luggage at the airport, she is taking our picture as we are taking hers. Even after that long flight with delays, they were so happy to be here.

One  of our grandsons asked us about the animals we have seen. No Lions Yet!! I took a picture of a baby elephant out side of the the Accra Mission Home. We also have seen several lizards (14 inches and it was red and yellow only needed green also to be an official Ghana colored lizard. We see several vultures sitting on the temple and area office building every day. There are these crazy birds that are trying to get birds that they see in the mirrors of parked cars. I don't know if they are in love with the image or they are trying to fight the image.

 I would love to bring one of these elephants home, too big for my suitcase.




Standing outside the Stake Center located in the Temple compound in Accra. Pictured is President Daniel Judd of the Accra Mission, President Aboi, one of the original pioneers of the Church in Ghana and myself.  During the "Freeze" in Ghana, when the Church was banned from the country, properties seized and buildings locked up by the government, this good man was arrested.  Because of brother Aboi and his brother's persistence the doors were again reopened to the preaching of the gospel in Ghana.  His story is written in a book called, "Walking in the Sand".  We understand that his brother brought the Book of Mormon from Germany to Ghana before the Church was established in Ghana and Western Africa .
Today as I sat in Sacrament I thought how young the leaders are and how wonderful the saints are, they are truly saints in the purest form word.